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This homemade Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce recipe is a fun way to bring that fire to your recipes. You can use any peppers if you can’t handle the reaper, but thus ultra hot recipe can have your guests squirming.

Carolina Reaper Spicy Hot Sauce in a half pint jar. There is a reaper pepper laying next to the jar.

Do you want to mess with the world’s hottest pepper? Well, you came to the right place. Today we are making a hot sauce with the famed world’s hottest pepper, the Carolina Reaper. This Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce is really easy to make and will be certain to make even the toughest folks cry just a little. If you like the heat and you like that pepper flavor, this Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce is for you.

🌶️ World’s Hottest Pepper – The Reaper

The Carolina Reaper pepper was specifically made to beat the Ghost Pepper and Scorpion Pepper on the Scoville Scale. This is literally the worlds hottest pepper and making hot sauce out of it is a fun way to enjoy the pepper and the flavors of the pepper. They are becoming more available in the store, but of course, you can order your own Carolina Reaper seeds and plant them yourself, as well!

🦺 Safety and The Carolina Reaper

First, this is not your average pepper.  Have you ever chopped up a jalapeno and then accidentally rubbed your eyes? It is terrible. It is a whole different ballgame with this pepper and you don’t want to play. Use gloves when handling this pepper. If you don’t, you may regret it.

We also put this in your oven to broil for a short while and you need to be a bit careful with this, as well. The peppers are hot! When you heat them up, they give off fumes. Make sure you have some ventilation handy and be careful of having any kids or pets around.

Seriously, people. Use your common sense and have a bit of respect for this pepper.

🤔 Can I Use Other Peppers for this Recipe?

For sure. We have made this hot sauce with both Ghost Peppers and Carolina Reapers. It would work fine for most spicy peppers. So, if you want to use habaneros, they should be fine. Use your best judgment on the size and adjust accordingly. Some Jalapeno peppers are really big and three times the size of a Reaper or Habenero. Adjust accordingly.

⚖️ How Much Should I Use?

Sometimes I like to put this hot sauce on my tacos. For me, just a few drops are enough. I do like trying really hot stuff, but I don’t really like wallowing in it. Sometimes I can get a tad sweaty and it becomes uncomfortable. I like enough to just get my blood flowing and let me know that I am eating the world’s hottest pepper. It doesn’t take much with this Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce.

🏡 Why Did We Start Making This Hot Sauce?

My wife is the gardener. A few Springs ago she called and the greenhouse had some Reaper and Ghost Pepper plants. She just asked me if we wanted to try and grow them. We just sort of both agreed. What the heck! So, we have been experimenting with really hot stuff since they started coming in last July.

Seven Reaper Peppers on a cutting board
Overhead shot of the Reaper hot sauce with three Carolina reapers sitting on a table

Looking for a good place to use this tasty hot sauce? Check out this Choriqueso appetizer recipe or this Shredded Beef Enchiladas recipe. Need something to wash it down with? How about this perfect margarita recipe.

Really, if you are into a bit of an adrenalin rush and a whole lot of zing, this Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce is probably for you. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and sign up to get updates via email.

✅ Products We Used In This Recipe

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Carolina Reaper Spicy Hot Sauce in a half pint jar. There is a reaper pepper laying next to the jar.

Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 15 reviews
  • Author: Ben Myhre
  • Prep Time: 8 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 Minutes
  • Total Time: 15 Minutes
  • Yield: 20 servings 1x
  • Category: Hot Sauce
  • Method: Broil
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Description

This is NOT your mama’s hot sauce. This Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce is spicy, hot, and will make you sweat!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 7 Carolina Reaper Peppers
  • 1/4 cup water
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

  1. Destem and cut peppers in half and place on cookie sheet, skin side up
  2. Broil for 7 minutes or just until it starts to blister and blackening
  3. Remove from oven and add all ingredients to blender
  4. Blend well
  5. Carefully store in airtight container and store in refrigerator

Notes

  • The peppers are hot! When you heat them up, they give off fumes. Make sure you have some ventilation handy and be VERY careful of having any kids or pets around.
  • Wear gloves when handling these peppers

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56 Comments

  1. This was my first year growing the Carolina Reaper the heat is almost unbearable. Would like to know if anyone has made this recipe with dehydrated Reapers?






    1. I just did my first attempt ever at making hot sauce, using this recipe, and I did use dehydrated reapers. When I dehydrated them, I cut them in half and for this recipe I used 2 dehydrated halves and it’s ….. hot. No way for me to measure Scoville so just saying hot is very subjective but I feel that was a good amount to start with.

      Since I didn’t add a lot of pepper material to the mix (the recipe calls for 7 whole peppers which surprised me that it didn’t burn a whole in your throat), I’m assuming that’s why my end result was pretty watery. It still tasted great and had a good amount of heat but that might be something to keep in mind – unless I did something wrong.

      I’m thinking about getting some xantham gum since I see what’s what a lot of the commercial brands use for thickening.